Invincible Universe: Battle Beast has pitted its titular bloodthirsty fighter against a massive colossus that was imprisoned on an alien world, an entire fleet of starships, and even entered him into a Mortal Kombat-style tournament. The question remains: what else can you throw at him? The answer: how about an actual witch? You heard that right, Invincible Universe: Battle Beast #1 features a literal witch.
Let’s backtrack: after a series of detours, Battle Beast and the prince accompanying him finally arrives on said prince’s planet. It’s a world that’s full of hungry creatures, strange vegetation, and is ruled with an iron fist by the sister of the colossus that Battle Beast slew in the first issue. And of course, there’s the witch, who lures our party into a trap using her shape shifting and spells.
Magic at first seems like it won’t fit into the general vibe of Invincible Universe: Battle Beast, especially since the series mostly fits into the sci-fi genre. But this is the Invincible Universe, where magic exists alongside aliens, superheroes, cyborgs and other comic book trappings. It’s a testament to Robert Kirkman’s writing that he can make the magic elements of Invincible Universe: Battle Beast #4 fit with the alien planets.
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Kirkman also injects his trademark sense of humor into the issue, including Battle Beast making friends with the strange beasts that inhabit the forest; imagining Battle Beast with friends is hilarious in and of itself. But there’s one moment that had me laughing out loud with how unexpected it was, and how blunt it was. Future issues should incorporate more of this humor, as it serves as the perfect balance to the bloody violence.
Speaking of bloody violence, while Invincible Universe: Battle Beast #4 isn’t as gory as the past three issues, it does pack in some great imagery thanks to Ryan Ottley. Ottley gets his fantasy vibes on in this issue, with the creatures that Battle Beast encounters looking like giant mutant versions of Chocobos from Final Fantasy and plants that look like living, breathing organisms. As for the witch herself, she starts out looking like your standard Frank Franzetta painting before transforming into something utterly horrifying.
None of this would work without Annalisa Leoni’s color. She truly captures the alien vibes of the environment; the forest features a yellowish-green vibe that feels truly alien and yet utterly hypnotic, and the witch utilizes a strange sort of green energy for her spells, resulting in one of the coolest moments of the book. What little bloodshed is in the book is delivered via a splash of red, signaling more brutality to come.
Invincible Universe: Battle Beast #4 is a bit of a slow burn, but it lets the creative team shape an entirely new planet and dip their toes into a new genre. If future issues take inspiration from this one, it could really spice up Battle Beast’s future conflicts and open more doors into the Invincible Universe.
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